The United States has cancelled a planned visit by Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal to Washington, following American objections to a recent army statement that blamed Israel for escalating tensions while omitting any reference to Hezbollah’s role, Lebanese media reported on Tuesday.

The controversy stems from a statement issued by the Lebanese Army Command on November 16, in which it accused Israel of repeatedly violating Lebanese sovereignty, undermining stability, and obstructing the army’s full deployment in the south. The army also condemned Israel’s targeting of a UNIFIL patrol on the same day and said it was working, in coordination with “friendly nations,” to stop what it described as dangerous and escalating Israeli breaches.

U.S. officials were reportedly angered by the tone and content of the statement, which made no mention of Hezbollah’s arsenal or its activities along the border. According to MTV, Washington viewed the army’s messaging as “placing blame on Israel and portraying it as the source of the problem, while failing to hold Hezbollah responsible.”

MTV reported that all of Haykal’s meetings in Washington, scheduled for Tuesday, were abruptly cancelled, along with an official reception the Lebanese Embassy had planned in his honor.

According to MTV sources, the U.S. government has now linked future cooperation and military assistance to the Lebanese Army with its political positions in the coming period, especially regarding border security and the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons. The network added that the file has been transferred to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, given what it described as his central role in reshaping U.S. policy toward Lebanon.

Al-Jadeed television also reported that the U.S. measures reflect growing dissatisfaction with what Washington sees as the army’s shortcomings in fulfilling its responsibilities related to Hezbollah’s disarmament.

The fallout extended into Washington politics as well. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X that Lebanon’s “Chief Head of Defense — because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak, almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah — is a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward,” arguing that this combination “makes the Lebanese Armed Forces not a very good investment for America.”